NO doctor will listen to me!

So I've been having a feeling like something is stuck under my left jaw/back tongue for months now & also my left upper gum keeps swelling up & there is pressure in my cheek area. It also gets swollen where it's hitting my lower gum. My doctor referred me to an ENT, which he diagnosed me with having nerve pain & said this is the cause of it all. I told him this is not right because along with these issues I am having daily drainage in the back of my throat, dry mouth, there is a white patch that for some reason all the doctors can't see (it was not there before-I know my mouth) also last dental visit they said my mouth looked like a smokers mouth & I have never smoked one day in my life. My throat also feels "hairy" and sometimes prickly like something sticking out of it-my tongue also feels swollen at times or tingling. So since I was diagnosed with "nerve" pain, every single doctor I go to tell me that since I was diagnosed with this that they can help me with pain management. The thing is, I'm not in pain-I'm in discomfort from these issues & inflammation. The denstist did x-rays & thought it was possibly my sinuses-they did a sinus ct-scan but of course came out clean. I have been asking for more testing to see if they can find out what's going on but they refuse due to my diagnoses. I am so frustrated & it's going on almost a year now that all these issues started. I cannot believe this is due to out of wacked nerves & I am at such a loss because every appointment I go to, they just look at my records & say more testing is unneccessary. Any advice or anyone had this issue? The ENT looked down my throat & said it was for sure not stomach related. I still have a belief that there is something going on with my sinuses or possibly a saliva gland (no, it's not a stone either) All my glands supposidly feel fine, however, I feel that my one saliva gland is bigger than the other side. Thanks for reading & sorry it's so long-I'm frustrated beyond frustrated with doctors & don't know where to turn-I've so far been to at least 10 dentists thinking it was my tooth & at least 5 different doctors now.

So sorry you are having these issues!! I can't really help you determine what's going on, but what can says is keep looking for a new doctor. Go to another and another and another until you find one that WILL listen. I know this can be difficult and almost demoralizing at times, but I went through this with another condition I had. I saw many doctors over a period of about 10 years (I would just bring it up each time I saw a new doctor and didn't go specifically searching for answers until that last year when I finally got help) who told me over and over again that I was perfectly healthy. I even had a doctor suggest that I was depressed and everything was in my head. Once I finally found someone who would listen, I had a new life within a few years!! I got the help I needed. Now, I'm about to have to do the same thing for my sinus issues, but I'm hoping I won't have to go to the same extreme. In any case, I feel for you. Don't give up, though!!

This sounds very similar to my experience. I saw at least 20 different GPs, was in the hospital 3 times, and went to 3 different ENTs before finally getting anyone to help me.

The best thing to do, at least from my experience, is to hone in on a list of things it could be. Then determine which medical diagnostic procedure would be best to use in order to rule those things out. Maybe it's a scope, or a CT of your throat, or a certain blood test.

Then go to a doctor and specifically request those tests. Most doctors, if directly asked for something and given a valid reason, will permit the test.

Just be persistent. As the previous commenter said, it can be demoralizing (I can't tell you how many times I came home from seeing a doctor just bawling my eyes out), but eventually someone will help you.